New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-08
~ THE DRAMA---MUS1C.
rrxpv ,pv,ra "A MEpH1sropHELEs.

HENRY IRVING AS MEPHlSTOPhShES.
Y..t night at tho star Theatre Horny irving 1850
...d with Ellen Terry and leading his dramatic oonn
r.ny from the London Lyceum Theatre, began MS 'hu
sasson upon the American stage presenting MS i"
,,-oapction Of " Faustn 1t royal OCCASION n
S.rt subiect treated In the loftiest spirit; thor-
ouehly good play magnifcenty prcSehtcu' s'o"' "
,ro an int ellectual and roned audience ana acooro"
sympathy between tho spectators and the ar''s's 'o
hred TO make this night, for all who were concernou
IN IT, an exquisite pleasure and beanti1ui "oniof!
Tho welcome accorded to Mr.. Irving and MISS Terry
w. az warm heart could mako IT, anu inc 'na'in
NNused by their personality and their oehgh'i' III.
scanned 70 be intensified by the responsive aroor oi
no,uIar affection and enthusiasm An authentic eo"
=, r,h,e power invests every manifestation OF Mr.
,,,,o,s professional life His auditor IL never dc
,,,ssed with the sense Of being unworhiy occupied
tr, steadily feels the force OF commanding ntehcct
and An intense nature concentrated on tho sincere anu
beneficial treatment Of momentous themes. This has
,san the public experience from the moment when his
magnetic presence first graced our stage Tho charm
"a uubroken. II dHused itself over the remarkable
audience night precisely 1t has so oncn oohe
before and the spontaneous and genuine acciaiatIoh
that hailed the presenmont OF Fsnst was therefore,
tribute no less tho abiding potency OF the actors
character than to tho brillianoy and worth Of his
present achievement The success was unequvocd
and prodigiouS.
II "a not surprising that the votsrics Of Goethes
colossal poen,-a work which although somewhat do
formed and degraded with the petlness OF proFl'iai
ism is vet a grand and immortal creation OF genius
should find themselves dissatisfied with theatrical OK
positions of II. Although dramatic in FORM the poem
f. not continuously directly and compactly dramatic
I'm movement. II cannot be converted Into play
without being radically changed in structure and IN
the form Of its dctiOn. Moro disastrous stli IN inc
eyes Of those votarics II cannot be and 1t never has
boon converted into play without conSdcraoie
sacrifice OF its contents It's comprehensive scope us
eth Significance. In the poem IL -
the Man who predominatos, It Is not the fiend
opholcS,' indeed, might. for tho purpose Vi
philosophical apprehension, be viewed as an eh'poo
projection of the mind Of aust"-for The power VI
the one dependent absolutely upon tho "eahhN' anu
surrender of The other Tho object of the poem was inc
p.travsI Of nnn -Isal humanity In typical form a.
its highest point OF development and in It's representa-
tive snrtual expcricnce. Faust aged scholar,
the epltome of human faculties and virtues grand
venerable benefccnt blameloss, Is passing miseraoy
into the evening Of life. He has done no outward and
visible wrong and yet no is wretchcd The inter
emptiness of his llfcts lack Of fulfmcn It's lack OF
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES annOys. dsgusS and tormchtS MIN
lie IS divided between apathy, which heavily weRhs
him down into the dust, and passionate, sprtuai
longing intense unsasfed, Unsuitable, which almost
drives him to frenzy. Once, at sunset, standing on
hillside and looking down upon peaceful valley he
uttcrs In a poetic strain Of exquisite tenderness ana
beauty the final wish Of his fororn and weary soul
1t Is no longer the godlikc aspiration ana I'M
perious desire Of his prime, but II IS the sncicht al
Tentative. All he asks now IS that he may see the
world always that sunset vision In the perfectloh
Of happy rcst-that he may be permitted soaring on
the wings OF the spirit follow the sun In It's setting
THE day before and tho night bchnd"l and thus
to circle forever round and round this globe, the &c
static spectator of happiness and peace lie mas had
enough and moro than enough Of study OF struggle OF
unfulflled aspiration Lonely dignity, arid renown,
safety. sorrow knowledge without hope and age
without comfort-these his present portion; and
little way onward. waiting for him. is death
Too old to play with passion too young not to feel
desire, he has endured long struggle between the
two souls in his breast-One longing for heaven and
the other lustlng for tho world but he is beaten at
last and In the abject surrender Of despair no deter
mines die by his own act. child lihc feeling re
sponsive his heart TO the divine prompting OF sacred
muse saves him from self murder; but In subsequent
bitter revulson he uters curse upon everything In
tho state and most OF all upon that celestial
attribute OF patience whereby man IS able to endure
and to advance in the eternal process OF evolution
from darkness into light. And now 1t IS when the
soul being utterly puzzled by the mystery
OF creation crushed by its own hopeless sorrow and en-
ragged by the everlasting command to renounce and re-
fran has become delIrium of revolt against God
and destiny that the spirit Of perpetual denial incar
mated In Mcphstophces," steps forth to proher him
guidance and help. 1t is * II his own rejection ana
defiance had suddenly become embodied to ala him y
his own ruin In reckcssnesS than In trust with
no fear. almost with scorn and contempt he yet agrees
to accept this assistance II happiness be really pos
sbe II tho true way after all should lilo In the lilo o.
tho senses and in knowledge and reason II under
the mnstraions Of this fend ono hour OF lif' even
one moment OF 1t, shah ever (Which IS an Idle and
futile supposltion, be sweet that his heart Shall
desire It TO llnger then indeed he will surrender him
self cernaly this at present prepOsterous Mcphs
tophelcsp whom his mood his magic and the rcvuSion
OF his moral nature have evoked:
Then let the deathbc chime the token
Then art thou from thy service FIRE
And time be finished unto me-
Such an hour 1t destined, shall arrive after many
long and miserable years, when aware of the beneh-
cence OF living for others, and I'm the Imagined pros
pcct Of leading, guiding and guarding FREQ people
upon FREQ land Faustr shall be willing to say 10 the
rnoment Stay, thou art so fair and MephStophe
lesn shall harshly cry out: Tho clock stands stl';
and the grsybeard shall sink In the dust ana tho holy
angels shall fly away with his soul, leaving the Flend
ba,ed and mOrose, to gbe at himself over the failure
Of all his Internal arts But, meanwhile 1t remains
true Of the that pleasure satisfies him and nc
happiness contents and Death IS desired, and Lifo
thing unblest7
The man who puts out his eyes must become blind
The sin of Faust" IS spiritual sin, and the meaning
OF all his subsequent terrible experience IS that spirit
ual sin must and will be-e1 plated No human
soul can DO lost In every human soul the con
test between good and evil must continue until the
good has conquered and tho evil Is defeated and erad
Gated Then. when thc mans spr4 ~ a"Iu>'cu W 40
enyironnen mt In the spiritual world, 1t VIII be at peace
and not till then And If this conflict is not wagcd and
completed and here 1t must be and II VIII be iough
ont and finished hereafter and else 1t Is
tho greatest Of all dousons to suppose that you can
escape from yourself judgment and rctributon pro
coed within the soul and not from sources outside OF
It, This IS tho phlosophic drift OF the poets Thought
expressed and implied In his poem 1t was Man. IN
his mortal ordealthe MOTIVE cause and necessity OF
which remain mystery whom he desired ana aiineo
to portray ; was merely tho triumph OF a mock
ing devil temporarily Victorious through ministrati0n
to animal lust and intellectual revolt. over tho weak
ness of the carnal and tho embtercd bewild